Abstract
Ten Alberta hospitals were monitored to assess the exposure of operating room personnel to nitrous oxide, halothane and enflurane during the average work day.
Exposure to these agents in operating rooms without scavenging systems was determined to be well above the recommended guidelines. Contaminants were significantly lower in operating rooms with scavenging systems of either the wall suction type or the air-conditioning exhaust type.
In the majority of studies, leakage points of anaesthetic gases were found throughout the anaesthesia systems. Where maintenance programs for the anaesthesia equipment were designed for the detection and elimination of leakage, contaminant levels were significantly lower than in those hospitals where the maintenance programs were concerned solely with proper equipment function as it relates to patient care.
A regular, frequent maintenance program for all anaesthesia and scavenging systems designed to identify and correct leakage points is therefore recommended. We consider a nitrous oxide monitor to be the ideal tool for detection of leakage.
Résumé
La contamination de l’atmosphére des salles d’opération par le protoxyde d’azote, l’halothane et l’enfiurane au cours d’une journée de travail moyenne a été etudiée dans dix hopitaux d’Alberta. Dans les endroits où il n’y avait pas de système d’évacuation des gaz et des vapeurs anesthésiques, les taux de contamination étaient bien au-dessus des minima recommandés, alors que la contamination de l’air ambiant était significativement inférieure dans les endroits où un système de vidange était utilisé (succion murale ou remplacement de l’air dans un système à air conditionné sans recirculation). La vérification des appareils d’anesthesie a permis de déceler des fuites de gaz dans la majorite des cas. Les taux de contamination de l’atmosphère des salles d’opération étaient significativement inférieurs dans les hôpitaux Où une Vérification SyStématique des fuites au niveau des appareils d’anesthésie était eftectuée dans le cadre d’un programme d’entretien et de vérification de I’équipement d’anesthésie.
Un programme régulier et fréquent de vérification et correction des fuites au niveau des appareils d’anesthésie et des systèmes de vidange des gaz et vapeurs anesthésiques est recommandé. Un moniteur de protoxyde d’azote nous apparaît comme l’appareil idéal pour la détection des fuites.
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Sass-Kortsak, A.M., Wheeler, I.P. & Purdham, J.T. Exposure of operating room personnel to anaesthetic agents: An examination of the effectiveness of scavenging systems and the importance of maintenance programs. Canad. Anaesth. Soc. J. 28, 22–28 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03007285
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03007285